Just a few years ago, all Katie Daly knew about candles is that they smelled nice, and she liked having them around the house. Her boyfriend, Cody Weiss, didn't disagree. But Daly, always a self-admitted "type-A antsy person" found herself bored and browsing Pinterest one day, when she saw a how-to guide to making soy candles in Mason jars. The corporate trainer melted some wax on the stove, adding some lavender oil - and found herself surprised when the candle actually burned.

After what she describes as "a truly serendipitous collision of events," Wauwatosa's Erica Riegelman started aftcra, an e-commerce marketplace specifically for American handmade artisans to sell their goods.

Reader blogs:

Wally Dog is excited today. Dad is letting him stay in the house because it is cold still and Ethel’s Wally Dog Wear custom dog clothing White Rabbit Bunny dog costume has been featured in a treasury on Etsy. If you get a chance, check it out. Etsy is a fabulous place to s...

Wally Dog is excited today. Dad is letting him stay in the house because it is cold still and Ethel’s Wally Dog Wear custom dog clothing White Rabbit Bunny dog costume has been featured in a treasury on Etsy. If you get a chance, check it out. Etsy is a fabulous place to s...